Faculty Collaboration Database

Intrinsic regulation of spatiotemporal organization within the suprachiasmatic nucleus. PLoS One 2011 Jan 07;6(1):e15869

Date

01/21/2011

Pubmed ID

21249213

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3017566

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0015869

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-79251552840 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   89 Citations

Abstract

The mammalian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) contains a population of neural oscillators capable of sustaining cell-autonomous rhythms in gene expression and electrical firing. A critical question for understanding pacemaker function is how SCN oscillators are organized into a coherent tissue capable of coordinating circadian rhythms in behavior and physiology. Here we undertake a comprehensive analysis of oscillatory function across the SCN of the adult PER2::LUC mouse by developing a novel approach involving multi-position bioluminescence imaging and unbiased computational analyses. We demonstrate that there is phase heterogeneity across all three dimensions of the SCN that is intrinsically regulated and extrinsically modulated by light in a region-specific manner. By investigating the mechanistic bases of SCN phase heterogeneity, we show for the first time that phase differences are not systematically related to regional differences in period, waveform, amplitude, or brightness. Furthermore, phase differences are not related to regional differences in the expression of arginine vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, two key neuropeptides characterizing functionally distinct subdivisions of the SCN. The consistency of SCN spatiotemporal organization across individuals and across planes of section suggests that the precise phasing of oscillators is a robust feature of the pacemaker important for its function.

Author List

Evans JA, Leise TL, Castanon-Cervantes O, Davidson AJ

Author

Jennifer A. Evans PhD Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Sciences department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Biological Clocks
Circadian Rhythm
Diagnostic Imaging
Luminescent Measurements
Mice
Neuropeptides
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus